


snapshots

by Nearly



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cahoots, Established Relationship, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, Humor, Marriage Proposal, Multi, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:02:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28838238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nearly/pseuds/Nearly
Summary: a collection of unrelated ficlets from my tumblr.(summary of each story in chapter notes, tags updated when i post a new chapter)
Relationships: Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Maddie Buckley & Eddie Diaz
Comments: 40
Kudos: 100





	1. christmas shopping

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Maddie and Eddie being friends :)

“You get everything you need?” Maddie asks, coming up beside Eddie where he’s just stepped out of the bookstore, bag in hand. She’d invited him out to do some holiday shopping together, leaving Buck and Chim at home with their respective children—the perfect opportunity to get their gifts for the two of them. 

“Yep,” he says, gesturing at the bag he’s carrying. “Picked up a few extra things, too. Couldn’t resist. You?”

“All done,” she replies, smiling brightly. She’d been in the store next door, picking out what Eddie thinks might have been a new shirt for Chimney, and she’d added another bag to the bundle she’s already holding. 

She glances longingly across the street at a coffee shop offering some sort of gingerbread-flavoured holiday special, and Eddie is about to offer that they stop there before heading home, when his phone chimes in his pocket. He shifts his bag to his other hand and digs the phone out to find a message from Chimney, that just says:  _ can i have my wife back yet _

Maddie’s phone vibrates in her hand a half second after he’s finished reading the text, and she snorts loudly at whatever message she’s gotten. 

“I think your boys are getting antsy,” she says, flipping the phone around to show Eddie a text from Buck:  _ stop stealing my man :(( _

Eddie laughs and shows her the text from Chim. “I think yours is too.” 

“Guess we should start heading back,” Maddie says, but she doesn’t sound like she wants to. She glances over at the coffee shop again, then back at her phone. Eddie takes a moment to read over the sign, and really, whatever that gingerbread thing is—it’s not that expensive. So he just shrugs and slides his phone back in his pocket. 

“They can wait a little longer,” he says, “you want to grab a coffee? I’ll pay.” 

“Oh, I’d love to,” Maddie answers eagerly, already readjusting her bags and getting ready to step across the street. Eddie adjusts his own and follows, smiling fondly. 

(The gingerbread thing turns out to be  _ really  _ good, so he gets one for Buck on the way out, too.)


	2. you've got us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Buck + "being a firefighter is my life"

It’s just Buck’s luck that he gets hurt on a call,  _ again. _ It’s not so bad this time, really, he’s just a little banged up, a little bruised. He’s fine. At least, that’s what his doctor keeps assuring him, but she’s also dancing around giving him a timeframe for his recovery and it’s starting to freak him out a little. 

Right now she’s giving them the rundown on his injury and how to manage the pain once he’s discharged, mostly directed at Bobby, who’s sitting by his side. Buck is only half listening, but he’s tuned in to the conversation enough that he knows she still hasn’t given them the information he’s after, and he doesn’t want to ask again because he’s already asked twice, and he knows she’s getting to it, but he just—he just needs to know. 

He knows he's being irrational but that doesn't help him much, because all he's thinking about is the long months after the truck bombing, where all he could do was watch as his team continued on without him. This is nothing compared to that, but still. He hates being stuck at home.

"—can you give us an idea of recovery time?" Bobby asks—because of course he knows exactly what Buck is thinking—and Buck looks up, tuning back in. 

"You're looking at two weeks, maybe three, before you're clear to go back to work," the doctor finally says, directing it at Buck this time,  _ "if _ you rest up, and don't push yourself." 

Two weeks. Two weeks until he's back. He can handle that. Buck lets out a quiet breath he hadn't even known he was holding, and shoots the doctor a smile. "Got it, doc. Thank you." 

She's paged down to another room a moment later, but she informs them that a nurse will be in soon to finish up and get him discharged. Buck relaxes, and tries not to think about how his hands are shaking, just a little. He's being ridiculous, and he knows it. 

"Buck," Bobby says softly, as soon as the doctor has left the room. "You'll be good as new in no time." 

"I know," Buck says. He shakes out his hands, wills himself to settle down. "I know. I just hate this. I  _ hate _ getting benched." 

"You're not benched, Buck. You're healing. There's a difference," Bobby assures him. "But that's not what this is about, is it?" 

"...No," Buck says bitterly. "I mean, it is. But—" 

He cuts himself off, still staring down at his hands. This isn't about this injury, not really. This time he'll be back at his job, doing what he loves. What he's good at. But what about next time? Or the time after that? Next time, he might not be so lucky. Bobby reaches over and rubs his shoulder gently, and Buck finally looks up at him. 

"Being a firefighter is my life, Bobby," he says quietly, "It's all I have. I just don't want to be left behind again." 

"Oh, Buckaroo," Bobby says, sounding a little sad, "you've got  _ us." _

Buck starts to stutter out a protest but Bobby just shushes him, hand still resting on his shoulder. 

"No, listen to me. I know you're still getting used to the idea, but you  _ do.  _ You have us, your team, your  _ family,"  _ Bobby insists, "You will  _ always  _ have us. No one's getting left behind, you hear me?" 

Buck can't do anything but nod, trying hard to ignore the fact that there are tears gathering against his lashes. This is about so much more than this stupid injury, but Bobby is right. He  _ knows _ Bobby is right, he just needed to hear it.

"Thanks, Cap," Buck says, and swallows past the lump in his throat. Bobby gives his shoulder one last reassuring pat just as the nurse comes in, then lets his hand drop. 

"Your place on this team will wait for you, Buck, for as long as you still want it," Bobby tells him, tone serious enough that Buck knows it's the truth. His family will always wait for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drop a comment, you know you want to


	3. white noise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Eddie + grief and comfort

Eddie steps back into the station a week and a half after his wife’s death. The first week, he’d spent as much time as he could with his son, but at some point after the funeral the kid had convinced himself he wanted to go back to school. Eddie, reluctantly, had sent him back on Monday, and the next few days without him were quiet. Too quiet. He needed noise, and distraction, and something to keep him busy so he couldn’t focus on the way the silence suddenly felt like absence.

“Hey, Eds,” Buck greets when Eddie makes his way to the locker room. “Glad to have you back.” It’s softer than usual, which Eddie hates, because he doesn’t want soft. He doesn’t want quiet. Quiet aches in his chest like an open wound.

“Glad to be back,” he shoots back, with a semi-convincing smile, and ducks back out of the room before Buck can try to say anything comforting. He heads up the stairs to the loft and busies himself by making coffee, lets himself sink into the white noise of the firehouse, and hopes that maybe he can manage to make this day feel normal. 

Those hopes are dashed when Bobby pokes his head out of his office, catches his eye, and says, “Eddie, can I see you for a moment?”

“Sure thing, Cap,” Eddie answers, grabbing his coffee and following Bobby back into the office. “What’s up?”

He knows what this is about, of course, because his wife died a week and a half ago and nothing can just go back to normal after that. Still, for just a little bit, he wants to pretend. So he sits when Bobby gestures for him to, and tries not to fidget when the silence stretches between them for a moment. 

“Listen, Eddie,” Bobby starts, coming to take the seat next to him rather than at his desk. “I’m happy to have you back, but only if you think you’re ready.” 

Eddie bristles, fingers curling tighter around the handle of his mug, but Bobby holds up a hand to stop him before he can cut in. 

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t be here,” he assures him, “I just want to make sure you’re giving yourself the time you need, alright? Are you?”

“Cap…” Eddie says, trailing off before the rest of what he wants to say can leave his mouth. He stares down at his coffee mug, unsure how to say that he might need time, but he can’t stand spending that time alone, in an empty house. 

“It’s too quiet, Bobby,” Eddie finally admits, “I just need…noise.” 

Bobby lets out a sympathetic hum. “I get it.” 

Eddie looks up, a sharp retort burning on the tip of his tongue, but it fizzles out when he takes in the set of Bobby’s shoulders and remembers that yeah, he does get it. He lost his wife too, his children. Eddie sets his mug down on Bobby’s desk, because he’s not doing much more than fiddling with it anyway. 

“If this is what you think you need,” Bobby continues, before Eddie can say anything, “then welcome back. Shift starts in ten.” 

Eddie lets out a breath of relief when Bobby gives him a pat on the back and stands, moving back behind his desk. Eddie stands too, collecting his mug of probably cold coffee, and turns to go. 

“Eddie,” Bobby calls to him again, when he’s just past the door. He turns to look back at him. 

“My door is always open, if you need it,” Bobby says, giving him a meaningful look. Eddie smiles gratefully. 

“I know,” he says. “Thanks, Bobby.” 

“Any time,” Bobby answers, and looks back at his papers. Eddie feels a knot loosen in his chest, and when he steps out of Bobby’s office, the noise of the busy firehouse feels like a comfort. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is especially tasty so drop me a comment pls ily


	4. the perfect gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: secret santa (and a surprise proposal)

The 118 has their annual Christmas party two days later than usual, when they’re finally all off shift at the same time. Eddie had been disappointed at first, up until the moment he realized it was a few days until Christmas and he still hadn’t found anything for their secret santa exchange—and suddenly he was more than grateful for the extra two days. 

Buck, though. Buck had gotten what he claimed was the “perfect gift” a  _ month  _ ago, and then proceeded to brag about it while the rest of them scrambled to catch up. Eddie hadn’t asked who it was for, because he knows that’s not how secret santa works, but Buck had talked it up so much that by the time they’re finally on the way to Athena’s house for the party, Eddie is  _ desperate  _ to know. 

“Just a little hint? A tiny one?” he asks, for probably the tenth time that night, as they pull up to Athena’s place. The rest of the team is already here, judging by the amount of cars in the driveway.

“Nope,” Buck says, and hops out of the truck. “No hints.” 

“Not even for your poor, impatient boyfriend?” Eddie says, but Buck just rolls his eyes. 

“You’ll find out in like, literally ten minutes, dude,” he says, then moves to open the truck door. “You help Chris, I’ll get the bags?” 

Eddie sighs dramatically. Buck ignores him. 

Eventually, they get Chris and their gifts inside, to be met with a party already in full swing. In the ensuing chaos, Eddie almost forgets his curiosity about the gift. Almost. And then he sees Buck whispering to Chris in the corner of the living room, both of them grinning, and Buck looks up at Athena and she nods with a smile on her face that says that she’s in on this, somehow, and Eddie has no idea what’s going on but he thinks if he doesn’t find out soon he might actually lose his mind. 

After they’ve all eaten and caught up, Athena finally announces that she thinks it’s a good time for their gift exchange. The kids go first, and then the rest of them start passing their gifts out to each other. Eddie feels a small surge of relief when Hen opens her gift from him and grins widely, and he knows he’s managed to hit the mark. 

And then finally,  _ finally, _ Buck pulls out the small, beautifully wrapped gift he’d been bragging about for weeks—and he hands it to Eddie. 

When Eddie pulls the wrapping off to find a tiny black velvet box, it doesn’t click immediately. The room goes quiet around him as he picks up the box and slowly, so slowly, flips it open. Inside, nestled in the white satin lining, sits a simple gold ring. 

“Oh my god,” someone says across the room, and Eddie privately echoes the sentiment, because Buck’s perfect gift is a ring, for Eddie, he bought Eddie a  _ ring  _ and—oh.  _ Oh. _

Eddie jerks his gaze up to meet Buck’s where he’s gotten down on one knee in front of him, smiling softly, looking almost nervous. 

“Marry me?”

Eddie just stares at him, wide-eyed, and all he can think to say is, “I love you.” 

Buck laughs, and the nervous edge to his voice has disappeared when he asks, “Is that a yes?”

“Of  _ course  _ it is,” Eddie insists, still staring at him, at the way Buck’s relaxes as soon as he says the words, as if he’s going soft around the edges. “Yes,  _ yes, _ absolutely, I’ll marry you.”

Chris cheers loudly, and barely a second later he’s joined by the rest of the group, cheering and clapping as Eddie launches himself forward off of his chair to get to Buck. Buck catches him, grinning brightly, and pulls him in for a kiss. 

Later, after Eddie has done the rounds to show off the ring to everyone—multiple times—he’s standing by the christmas tree in the corner with a tall flute of champagne in his hand, admiring the way the lights glint off the golden band on his finger. 

Buck comes up behind him and wraps his arms around Eddie’s waist, hooking his chin over his shoulder. “So, was I right?” 

“About what?” Eddie asks, leaning back against him—his  _ fianc _ _ é _ —and lets Buck take his hand and lace their fingers together. 

“I got the perfect secret santa gift,” Buck says proudly, tugging at Eddie’s hand until he turns to face him. Eddie huffs a quiet laugh. 

“Try not to be so smug about it,” he teases, “you showed everyone else up.” 

“Maybe,” Buck hums, eyes bright as he smiles, “worth it, though.” 

“Yeah,” Eddie says, leaning in to press another soft kiss to Buck’s lips. “Definitely worth it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drop a comment if you love me


	5. you are enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: anything for Buck
> 
> i wrote this right after 4x04, because i had too many feelings. have fun with it :)

Buck is jealous of a dead boy. It’s ridiculous and unfair, but it’s like he’s twelve years old again, and the feeling coils tight and hot in his chest. His hands tremble where he grips the photograph, and he tries his best not to crease it, doesn’t want to ruin this precious thing that somehow meant more to his parents than the children they still had. 

The thing is, Buck has spent his whole life feeling like he’s a step behind, living in the shadow of someone he could never name. He’d done everything he could think of to break down the barrier between him and his parents, but he never could. Never knew  _ why. _ Now he’s got a name for that shadow, a face, but it doesn’t feel any better. 

“Daniel,” he says. He hates that it comes out bitter, because the boy in this photo—his  _ brother— _ doesn’t deserve it. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He’d simply had the audacity to live just long enough for his parents to pour their love into him, and then take it with him to the grave. 

He looks happy, in the photo. Smiling at the camera from astride his bike, crooked teeth and all, like he’s having the time of his life. Maybe he was. Buck doesn’t think he’d ever find a picture of himself that looked like this—doesn’t think he’d ever smiled this wide with his parents behind the camera.

_ Love me anyway,  _ he had begged, but what he didn’t know then was that they couldn’t, because his parents had buried their love when they buried this kid.

“I never knew,” Buck tries, grasping at straws for an explanation. “They—they didn’t tell me. They never talk about him.” 

“I don’t think they knew how,” Maddie says. Daniel stares out at them from the photograph, grinning like he’s got his whole life ahead of him, and Buck doesn’t know how to feel. Doesn’t know how to grieve someone he never even had the chance to know. 

“We had a  _ brother,”  _ Buck repeats, still trying to wrap his mind around it. “And I’ve been...trying to live up to him, for so long, and I never even  _ knew.”  _

“You were so young,” Maddie says, and her voice shakes, “and you didn’t remember, and then they just— _ we _ just—”

“Why are you still defending them?” Buck asks, so quietly. He still can’t find it in himself to tear his eyes from the photo. “They hurt you too, Mads. You can’t pretend they didn’t.”

“They were grieving,” Maddie tries again, but it’s half-hearted. “Losing a child is awful. And with Daniel gone, they just...didn’t know what to do with all that empty space.” 

And Buck can understand, really, he can. Loneliness and grief crowd into the empty spaces in your life and smother you, suffocate you. Sometimes it feels like there’s no escape. Except his parents' life wasn’t empty, not really—they just refused to really look at what was left behind.

“But they had  _ us,  _ Maddie!” Buck says, almost desperately, “And we’re still  _ here!” _

The photo creases where Buck’s thumb presses in a bit too tightly, and he drops it on the table in front of him like it’s on fire. He doesn’t want to look at it anymore. 

He chances a look up at his sister, sees his own tears mirrored in her eyes. His voice breaks when he asks, “Why wasn’t that enough?” 

It should have been enough. It never was. Buck is jealous of a dead boy because he got two loving parents and a wonderful sister, and Buck got  _ I don’t know what you expected us to do, Evan,  _ and a sister who was trying her best but didn’t quite know when to stop running. 

It’s ridiculous. It’s unfair. Buck is twenty-nine years old and he still feels like he’s twelve, trapped in that empty space in that empty house between two people whose hearts were buried six feet under. He doesn’t know what to do with that. He doesn’t know what to do with his hands. 

“It was enough for me,” Maddie says, and her tears threaten to spill over when she puts a hand on his knee, gentle as always.  _ “You  _ are enough for me.” 

Buck takes a shuddering breath, but he can’t seem to find his voice. So he just nods, twists his fingers up with hers, and squeezes. She smiles softly and squeezes back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave me a comment if u love me


	6. the thing about Buck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Eddie + co-parenting

The thing with Buck, Eddie thinks, is that he’s just so  _ good. _ He’ll drop anything to be there if someone needs him. There’s never an ulterior motive, he just wants to help. He wants to make things easier for the people he loves. 

Eddie knows that he’s included in that, knows that Buck loves him with everything he has. He’ll drop by to make dinner when Eddie’s had a rough shift. He’ll corral Chris into finishing his homework when all he wants to do is play video games. He’ll pick Chris up from school when Eddie is working, and he’ll get him ready for bed when Eddie is trying to clean the kitchen. He’ll spend all day in Eddie’s arms if that’s what Eddie needs—although Eddie knows for a fact Buck quite enjoys  _ that _ .

The thing about Buck, Eddie thinks, is that he loves Christopher. And to Eddie, that means more than anything else in the world. Eddie has spent enough time working on himself to know that he’s a good father, and that he’s enough on his own. More than enough. But having Buck here adds a little extra, makes everything a little easier, makes his and Chris’ lives a little brighter than they were without him. He helps, not because Eddie asks, but because he wants to. 

Eddie realizes, after Buck has spent his whole day off taking care of a sick Christopher while Eddie was at work, that he’s not sure if Buck knows how much all this means to him. He decides to remedy that, right after tucking his half-asleep son into bed for the night. 

Eddie closes the door quietly behind him and heads back down the hallway to where he left Buck, standing by himself in the kitchen. He’s still there, leaning back against the counter, loose and comfortable in the way he always is in Eddie’s house. He takes in the sight for a moment, and then surges forward to pull Buck into a hug. Buck startles at the sudden movement and he lets out a little  _ oof  _ as his chest collides with Eddie’s, before he registers what’s happening and relaxes. 

“Thank you,” Eddie says, muffled in Buck’s shoulder. There’s a rumble of confused laughter as Buck brings his arms up to return the hug. 

“For what?” 

“For being here,” Eddie tries to explain, “for staying, for  _ wanting  _ to stay.” 

Buck makes an indignant noise and squeezes a little tighter. “Of course I want to stay, Eddie. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” 

“I know,” Eddie says, pulling back just enough to look Buck in the eyes. “That’s the most amazing part.” 

“Okay,” Buck says. He still looks a little confused, like what Eddie is trying to say hasn’t quite gotten through, but seems pleased anyway. 

“I love you,” Eddie tells him simply. He casts a meaningful glance down the hall towards Chris’ room. “And I’m glad he has you. I’m glad  _ I  _ have you.” 

Recognition sparks in Buck’s beautiful blue eyes, and he smiles. He draws Eddie back into the hug and holds him close in the stillness of the quiet kitchen. 

“I love you too,” he says, breath ghosting past Eddie’s ear as he presses a soft kiss to the skin of his temple, “and I’m not going anywhere.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gimme a comment if u love me


	7. I'll take care of you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Eddie Diaz + some variation of "I'll take care of you / it's rotten work" 
> 
> (I took this pretty liberally with this one...I like it though!)

“I’m fine, Buck,” Eddie insists, not for the first time, as they pull into Eddie’s driveway. He’s not exactly  _ okay, _ what with the busted ribs from a nasty fall on shift that day, but he would’ve been alright to drive himself home. Probably.

But now that they’re here, he knows Buck will insist that he sit down and rest, but he really doesn’t have time for that today. He also knows that Buck will insist on staying, and Eddie is no fun to be around when he’s hurt, and Buck isn’t exactly in perfect shape himself after that monster of a shift. He doesn’t deserve whatever bad-tempered hell Eddie will inevitably rain down on him tonight. 

“You’re not, Eddie,” Buck shoots back, not for the first time, as he shuts off the jeep. He grabs both of their bags out of the back seat and swings them over his shoulder. “Come on.” 

Eddie sighs, even though it makes his ribs twinge. Buck is already out of the car and headed for the door before he can say anything else, so he gingerly climbs out and follows. 

“Buck,” he tries again, watching as Buck swallows down a yawn before he steps aside to hold the door open for Eddie. “I have to leave again to pick Chris up in like, twenty minutes.” 

“Oh, I can get him,” Buck offers easily. “You just sit down. You shouldn’t be moving around so much.” 

“I’ve still gotta get started on dinner,” Eddie presses, “or ordering it, I guess.” 

He’s not sure what he’s trying to do. Get Buck to go home, maybe. Eddie knows he’s tired too, and he shouldn’t have to deal with Eddie and this injury that was his own damn fault anyway. 

“Already handled,” Buck says, showing Eddie his phone screen where the page for Eddie’s favourite pizza place is already open. “It’ll take like, two seconds to put our usual order in. I’ve got it.” 

“Buck—” Eddie starts. 

_ “Eddie,”  _ Buck stresses, cutting him off. He locks eyes with Eddie intently. Eddie feels another twinge from his ribs, but he doesn’t move. “I watched you take that fall today and I couldn’t do anything, and that terrified me.”

“Oh,” Eddie says, because he doesn’t know what else to say. Things are making a little more sense now, at least.

“Yeah,” Buck says. “So will you just let me help you? Please?”

“Okay,” Eddie relents, finally. He can’t resist one final try, though, when he sees the dark circles under Buck’s eyes. “I’m no fun to be around when I’m in pain, though. I get cranky.” 

Buck snorts and rolls his eyes. “Oh, I know. We’ve done this before, remember?” 

Eddie manages a ghost of a grin at that, before one final stab of pain through his ribs reminds him that he is, in fact, injured. Buck notices, and takes his shoulder gently to steer him towards the couch. 

“Sit down,” Buck says. “I’ll get Chris, and pick up the pizza on the way back. Won’t be more than half an hour.” 

He snatches his keys back up and makes for the door again. Eddie calls after him, just before he makes it out of the room. 

“Hey, Buck?” 

“Yeah?” Buck turns back to look at him. 

“Thanks,” Eddie says simply. Buck grins. 

“No problem. I’ve got your back, remember?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> commente?


	8. in cahoots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: literally just the word "cahoots" 
> 
> so...this is just dumb fun

“Henrietta, my love!” Buck calls loudly across the loft, startling Hen out of her reading. She whirls around to stare at him. He hops the last step up from the stairs and makes his way over, and when he gets closer...is he  _ pouting? _

“I need you to be in cahoots with me,” he announces without preamble, dropping his elbows down on the back of the couch and settling onto them. She cocks an eyebrow and shoots him a look over the rim of her glasses. 

“You need me to be in  _ what  _ with you?” 

“Cahoots, Hen!” Buck repeats, and this time he pushes himself up and rounds the couch to flop down next to her. “Cahoots! Conspire! Connive! Scheme!”

“What are you even talking about?” Hen asks, absolutely baffled. She slips her bookmark into her book and sets it down on the table in front of her. 

“I’ve never been in cahoots before,” he says, as if that explains anything. “I feel like I’m missing out! I can’t go my whole life never having been in cahoots with anyone!”

“Say cahoots one more time and I  _ will  _ smack you,” Hen says, because really, how many times can he say that in one sitting? At least he’s funny. “I’m surprised you didn’t ask Eddie.” 

“I did,” Buck admits forlornly. “He said no.” 

“Okay, alright,” Hen concedes, if only because she thinks the kicked puppy look Buck is wearing right now is  _ hilarious  _ given the context of this ridiculous conversation. “What are we in cahoots about, Buckaroo?”

Buck frowns. “Uh...I didn’t think that far.” 

Hen snorts. She shakes her head at him in amusement, and glances down briefly towards the engine bay where Eddie and Chim are restocking the ambulance. Buck’s gaze follows, but when she turns back to look at him, he keeps his eyes locked on Eddie down below. 

Hen smiles fondly and watches him watch Eddie for another moment, before she clears her throat to get his attention again. He practically jumps in his seat and looks back at her, just this side of sheepish at being caught. 

Her smile widens. “I bet I can think of something.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, ily :)


End file.
